Police boss Kanja ordered to produce blogger Ndiang’ui Kinyagia

Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja has been ordered to produce blogger Ndiangui Kinyagia, who was reported missing over 10 days ago.

High Court Judge Chacha Mwita directed the IG to produce Kinyagia in court tomorrow morning without fail or explain why he has been missing.

“I have taken into account the fact that the second applicant has not been found for 10 days and that the life of a citizen is in danger,” Mwita stated.

Further, Mwita also directed that the application be served on Kanja and Director of Criminal Investigations Mohammed Amin by close of business on Monday and responses to be filed within seven days.

Kinyagia went missing on June 21 after allegedly being abducted at his home in Kinoo.

His whereabouts remain unknown, and his disappearance has drawn national attention, with rights groups and civil society organisations demanding his release.

“Free Ndiangui Kinyagia. He was last seen on June 21 after a reported raid by DCI officers at his home in Kinoo. We call for his immediate release. If he is accused of any crime, let him be presented before a court of law, not held incommunicado,” human rights group Amnesty International Kenya said in a statement.

Before he was reported missing, Kinyagia had shared a timetable for the protests to mark the first anniversary of the Gen Z killings on his X account.

The timetable outlined a nationwide plan for demonstrations, including a march to the State House in Nairobi.

His disappearance was reported by his family at Kinoo Police Station before they went to LSK, who filed an urgent application last week seeking to compel the police to produce Kinyagia and explain the circumstances of his disappearance and the raid on his home.

His disappearance is among the latest incidents, which adds to the growing concerns around the safety of vocal bloggers and activists in Kenya, with recent months seeing an increase in disappearances and detentions under unclear circumstances.